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Friday, November 9, 2007

BCS Rankings and Polls: Hawaii Gets Raw Deal

Those of you that vigilantly follow our offerings here on this page understand that our contribution to sports and blogging - or, if you will 'sportsblogging' - is righteousness.

Long ago, we realized that the bias demonstrated within the college football rankings and polling systems didn't provide proper recognition for or acknowledge the demonstrated superiority of certain teams. Teams,that for political reasons, were not elevated to 'elite' status. And, therefore, didn't get the opportunity to generate the revenue that accompanies that status.

At the same time other teams that truly offer meager product on the field continue to reap the financial benefits of high profile coverage and are afforded votes in polls until the voters can no longer provide votes with any credibility and must stop voting for them. Notre Dame comes to mind.

In that light, we came up with the heralded NC&QB poll. A poll which has remained weeks ahead of the mainstream polls. Last season, we had Ohio St and Florida as our 1 and 2 from week 2 of the season on . The mainstreamers only arrived at the same conclusion at the end of the year. Again, not to hyper extend our elbows patting ourselves on our backs...but we are light years ahead of the mainstream media in virtually every capacity.

Our rankings this season will certainly be found to be the doctrine of truth by the time the season completes.

However, occasionally a team comes along that doesn't seem to fit into any of the polls. Ours included. And, being the righteous sports blog, we take it upon ourselves to investigate why.

The general myth perpetrated by the mainstream polls revolves around 'strength' of schedule. A team from a perceived lesser conference compiles an impressive record, and they are degraded for not playing USC, Oklahoma and LSU in their non-conference schedule.

At the same time, a school from a BCS conference might come along and compile an impressive record and get a high ranking. Yet that school might well be playing in a BCS conference that is not very good from top to bottom that year and might have played no one of substance in their non-conference schedule.

Yes, we are contrasting Hawaii and Boston College.

BC got all kinds of love with wins over..........well, no one that matters.

Hawaii gets no respect with wins over......... well, no one that matters.

Years ago, Lavell Edwards ran a program out in Utah that seemed to amass wins by the dozens each season. His BYU Cougars put up impressive year after impressive year. But, always fought the 'weak conference' categorization. Finally, after an undefeated season in which none of the big boy teams had comparable records, the pollsters had no choice but to vote the Cougars number one.

We would suggest that the bias against BYU for so long had nothing to do with scheduling. It had to do with the charter of the university. It had to do with a prejudicial electorate dead set against having a school run by the Church of Latter Day Saints being the flagship football program in the country. And finally, the day came when the polls could either continue to hold the Mormons back and lose all credibility, or allow that for that year BYU was the best team in the land. Common sense, for once in college football, prevailed.

And now, we see it again this season.

The white bread Catholic school boys from the palest section of the country (no, not ND.....BC!) haven't beaten anyone that matters. Playing in the horribly weak ACC, their non-conference schedule was composed of games against 1-AA UMASS, Army, Bowling Green, and the worst ND team of all time. Yet, BC rose to #2 as voters and the mainstream media pretended that this collection of second tier recruits were an actual threat to the teams at the top of the NC&QB Poll.

At the same time Hawaii was amassing victory after victory against admittedly weak opponents. Yet, while BC's schedule was never used against them as they rose up the rankings, any mention of Hawaii included words about the weak schedule.

Clearly, a concerted effort to ensure that the public and the voters constantly associated Hawaii with a weak schedule.

Last season, an undefeated team from the same conference as Hawaii was the voter and media darling. Boise State, located in a section of the county synonymous with Wonder Bread, received more manufactured love than is conceivable enroute to their opportunity for a shot at a BCS bowl.

Why is Hawaii not getting the backing of the media and love normally reserved for Cinderella?

Well, we can only identify one reason.

Look at the names on the Hawaii roster. Look at the fans attending the games there. There are a lot of Hawaiians.

Mainstream America loves Hawaiians when they are doing a hula dance or providing entertainment on a vacation to the islands; but to give them their due on the football field and risk losing the revenue that is normally reserved for the universities backed by the deep pocketed white boosters....it can't happen.

We had contemplated granting Hawaii a special exemption for inclusion in the NC&QB poll. Unfortunately, a review of the team showed that their QB is a convicted criminal.

Despite our desire to give the team a correct and fair rankings, we feel that bending the rules to allow a white, ex-con QB to be included in a poll dedicated to the propagation of the Negro student-athlete-good citizen QB would simply be too contradictory. It would degrade all that those included in the NC&QB Rankings have worked so hard to achieve.

So, while the major polls and voters will use the excuse of 'strength of schedule' to mask their bias against Hawaiians (as they did with the Mormons):

We at NOIS would be more than happy to include the Hawaiians in the NC&QB Rankings.

But we can't allow the inclusion of a white, convicted criminal QB. It tarnishes the poll.